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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25082824">Rebound?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildOfSolace/pseuds/ChildOfSolace'>ChildOfSolace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Modern Day Natsby [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Great Gatsby (2013)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Daisy is a bitch, F/M, M/M, Mentioned Myrtle Wilson, Mentioned Tom Buchanan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:07:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,879</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25082824</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildOfSolace/pseuds/ChildOfSolace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jay breaks up with Daisy for another guy. Which turned out to be Daisy's cousin.</p><p>Daisy is not pleased.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nick Carraway/Jay Gatsby, Past Daisy Fay/Jay Gatsby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Modern Day Natsby [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>157</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Rumors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <strong>“I heard he left her for another guy!”</strong>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <b>“So did I! You know, I always thought the guy was eccentric but gay?"</b>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p><em><strong>"Yeah, I didn't see it coming. Especially since he had been going out with Daisy Fay for the last three years of high. But I never imagined they'd break up before prom in a few weeks.</strong></em> <em><strong>”</strong></em></p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <strong>"Maybe Jay Gatsby just wanted to give everyone a chance. You know, he is kinda hot. It's only fair the guys get a chance too."</strong>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <strong>"That, or maybe his ex is so much of a handful he needed a change of sights."</strong>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <strong>"I can imagine that."</strong>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <strong>Both girls giggled by their lockers.</strong>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Jay Gatsby dumped his girlfriend of three years just two weeks ago, and no one knew why. That was, until someone found out that he was dating another guy.<em> A guy</em>.</p><p>Daisy walked down the hall as the two other girls spoke, her ears perking.</p><p>She stops, walks towards them with a fake smile. Immediately, the two friends pause with their conversation, a look of distaste clear on their features.</p><p>“Can we help you?” The first asked.</p><p>Daisy smiled pleasantly, while inside she seethes. “So I’ve heard rumors that Jay has a boyfriend for his rebound."</p><p>"Uh, weren't you the one who was let go, Fay?" The second pointed out, "sounds like you need the rebound."</p><p>Daisy pointedly ignored that statement. "So, is that true?” She asked, receives two nods in response. Without so much as a nod goodbye, Daisy left with purpose now.</p><p>Later on in the day, Daisy hears the same story from other students, surprised to find out that the new boyfriend was her cousin, Nicholas Carraway, and she could not be more appalled. Not only had he been the one who helped them get together in their Freshmen year, he was family. And Daisy adored him.</p><p>Correction, she <em>had </em>adored him. Now, all she could feel was contempt. After all, he was the one that had convince her to leave Tom Buchanan for Jay Gatsby in Junior High. Now, he was responsible for Jay leaving her. What's worse, he’s going to be Jay's date on prom night a few weeks later.</p><p>She could not think of a worse betrayal, especially as Tom was dating Myrtle Wilson and going with her to prom. She had absolutely no one she wanted to go with now.</p><p>The school day comes and goes easy enough, silent rage encouraging the woman onward with her necessary activities, if only for a short while. She waits outside of the Library waiting for the club's meeting to finish, drowning out the sounds of enthused chatter over books with her music player.</p><p>Finally, Daisy spots Nick coming from the room, wearing a long-sleeved light blue polo shirt underneath a dark sleeveless vest, the book of The Picture of <em>Dorian Gray</em> tucked under his arm.</p><p>Putting on one of her many smiles, she pushes herself off of the wall she leaned against, walking toward the man. He noticed her approach and bit his lip, chagrined.</p><p>"Daisy, look I..."</p><p>She interrupted him by slapping him across the face. <em>Hard.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Best for me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <b>warnings for homophobic slurs</b>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh, sorry Nicky, there was a large <em>bug</em> so I just..." Daisy waved her hand flippantly, "did it hurt much?"</p><p>Nick pressed his hand upon his reddening cheek, nonplussed. "I... Well, it..."</p><p>"So, prom is in a few weeks. I mean, you must know, everyone's talking about it." Daisy prattled on, watching Nick's reaction carefully. "You know, I'm so excited. It's always been my dream to win Prom Queen, and of course, with Jay being the school's golden boy as I am the golden girl, he's bound to win Prom King. We'd be a match set."</p><p>Nick's brows furrowed, his face contorting to a grimace. "Daisy..."</p><p>"Oh, oh, wait.... Oh, silly me, that's right. I forgot, we're not going together." She openly glared at Nick now, "Because we aren't together, and that's all thanks to the one person that matched us up in the first place."</p><p>Nick pursed his lips, "Daisy, look, I never... I never meant for this to happen, I..."</p><p>"Oh please, Nick, I know who you are." Daisy scowled, "You're a damn pansy, and you may think you hide it so well, but everyone knows. Even my own parents."</p><p>Nick's eyes widened, because as far as he knew, he's only ever told his parents. He had hopes that the rest of the student body just suspected that of him and used it as a way to pick on him, among other things they use as reasons to mess with him. He never imagined they'd know for sure. After all, he's never actually been openly gay in public, hell, he hasn't even dated anyone on or off campus grounds.</p><p>Till Jay.</p><p>"They... They know?” Oh and how sweet he sounded.</p><p>"Oh, of course they know." Daisy snorted, "Especially when you adamantly refused to asked out the daughter of father's business partner. Even when she blatantly expressed her interest to you at the banquet last summer, considering how elegant she looked then. The only reason father is even still agreeing to help uncle fund your schooling is because I begged him to. Now, I'd have to rethink that."</p><p>Nick had no words for that, his eyes reflecting something akin to panic.</p><p>“You know, I bet you're just an experiment. I mean, it would be so like Jay to test how far eccentric he could go. I mean, he could've chosen a better looking guy to test it with but he went with you, my cousin." She smirked and Nick felt like he just got slapped, again.</p><p>Although somehow, this felt much more painful than the initial one.</p><p>"Jay is in love with me, and once he’s done with this game and little playmate─ that’s you, by the way─ then he’ll realize what he left behind. And that person won’t be you.” She ends her sentence by pressing the tip of her index finger into the apex of her cousin’s chest. “And you know something else? You’re way out of his league, I mean, you're not even worth the dirt Jay steps on all the more compared to me. You're far from what Jay deserves in a significant other. You can’t even give him children!” She cried, the perfect smile etched onto her face was beginning to go sour with displeasure. The scorned woman steps closer to the visibly anguished Nick, as he steps backwards. “To think, <em>my Jay</em>, pursuing.. <em>This.</em>” she waves her hands at Nick’s physique as emphasis.</p><p>Nick can’t find it in himself to speak─ No matter how much he wished Daisy was merely speaking off a broken heart, he can't help see the truth in her words, she was right in her own sick way. He can’t give Jay kids, he isn’t rich and gorgeous like him, Christ, he hasn't even managed to finish any of his amateur stories that he could try publishing someday. And he hopes to be as famous a novelist as Stephen King one day? Yeah, right.</p><p>He opens his mouth to speak, but another one interrupts him. It was Jay Gatsby in person, standing right beside them.</p><p>“It's more like, to think he actually agreed to let me pursue despite what I had him go through." The taller blond interjected, taking his place by Nick's side and looking at him even as the shorter brunette tried avoiding his gaze. "If anything, I wished I hadn't wasted any time and noticed him much sooner." He confessed, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Then, he looks down at Daisy while his chin remained high. "And even if the entire school thinks you and I were the better match, I think it's Nick who's the best for me."</p><p>Daisy was affronted. "Jay!"</p><p>Nick cringes a little, cowering away from both figures.</p><p>Both Jay and Daisy were starting to argue with each other, the latter throwing around curses and empty threats. Jay's adoptive father, Dan Cody, was richer than any other elite parentals enrolling their kids to the Academy, no one would dare cross Jay Gatsby. It was a good thing, in fact, that Jay was mostly easy going. Or, more to the point, wouldn't risk bad form to earn his best-friend-turned lover's disapproval. Nick honestly felt sick─ had he of known he actually had a chance with Jay he would never have gotten them together in the past, only to be the same reason of them having broken them up now. He wasn't especially fond of his cousin as he had been to him, even then, but he imagines Daisy would be more overbearing now that she actually despises him.</p><p>“Nick, we’re leaving. We still need to catch that early dinner reservation I made.” It was the sense of finality in his words that stopped Daisy from yelling, and what pulled Nick down the hall and soon, they were out of the school building and at the school parking lot.</p><p>Once the boys were safely inside Jay's car, Jay turned to Nick, a look of disdain still swimming in his blue orbs.</p><p>“I’m very sorry about.. Whatever that was. It seems she’s still upset about me leaving her.” He sighs, both hands reaching out to take the other’s, locking their fingers together. Nick felt warm by just that small notion, his gaze falling to the floor.</p><p>“I can't say I blame her, as I'm the one who got her to leave Tom to give you a chance..."</p><p>Jay lets out a breath, "Yes, and while you had a thing for me too back then. I'm so sorry I've been dense to have not notice earlier," He leaned to nuzzle Nick's cheek, the one that's been slapped earlier, unbeknownst to him. "but I'm more sorry that you had to hear Daisy say such things to you; for the record, you're the one who deserves so much more than me and I'm all too happy you've settled for me."</p><p>"What?" Nick blinked, staring at Jay. "you heard that much? Why didn't you... I mean..."</p><p>"I was getting over being astonished to hear Daisy sound so spiteful towards you. I mean, she adores you."</p><p>Nick huffed, "<em>Adored </em>me, is more like it now."</p><p>"Ever the grammar Nazi, I see." Jay joked, to make things lighter. "But to get real for a second, she was talking crazy when she said such things; in any case, it doesn't matter. I want to be with you Nick, no matter what anyone says in that regards. Even if it's from Daisy. I just... I'm still reeling that she could be so... bratty."</p><p>"Yeah, well..." Nick shrugged. "Anyone would be upset if they had to let someone like you go, I imagine.” he felt embarrassed by saying those words, the warmth in his cheeks intensifying into a dull burn.</p><p>Jay laughs, leaning forward to pepper soft kisses along the other man’s cheek bones and nose. “Look at you, having your way with words.”</p><p>“I mean... I try. I'm an aspiring author, anyway...”</p><p>Jay smiles at Nick endearingly before he takes the brunette's face in his hands to bring it closer, and their lips met. At that moment, Daisy was the farthest thing from their minds.</p>
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